Wearing a red suit with a double-breasted jacket adorned with sparkling jewels on one shoulder down to its sleeve, and an ear-to-ear smile, Maxwell told the audience, “Thank you for selling out this night, it’s nuts! I’m getting a little less nervous up here. The alcohol is kicking in. But thank you for 27 years.”
Starting the proceedings with one of his signature gems, “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” — accented by a sexy two-step that had the ladies screaming — Maxwell continued to smoothly transport the audience back down a memory lane of hits and fan faves. The setlist included “Dancewitme,” “Fortunate,” “Off,” “Fistful of Tears,” “Lake by the Ocean,” a searing cover of the 1977 Heatwave hit “Always and Forever,” encore closer “Whenever Wherever Whatever” and “Stop the World.
But three songs in particular garnered rapturous sing-alongs — and further underscored Maxwell’s still-supple tenor and hypnotizing falsetto: “Bad Habits,” “Pretty Wings” and his 1996 hallmark “Ascension .” Referencing the string of “oohs” in the latter song’s intro , the Grammy winner soon had the audience matching him “ooh” for “ooh” before shifting into full sing-along mode.
Maxwell’s simpatico opening act was SiR. Strolling onstage to enthusiastic yells, the Inglewood, Calif., native kept the audience engaged from start to finish with his soulful tenor that carries a pleasing hint of roughness. Sharing relatable stories about love and life, SiR kicked off with “John Redcorn” and then followed with selections from a catalog that includes three studio albums, the most recent being 2019’s .
Maxwell wraps his three-night Hollywood Bowl run Sunday night with opening act Raveena. The series commenced on Friday with Pink Sweat$. Maxwell’s upcoming performance slate includes a four-night stand at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.